


Checkmate

by Sure-Spear (WiztheWhiteWolf)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: High Fantasy AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25257595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WiztheWhiteWolf/pseuds/Sure-Spear
Summary: An Au retelling of the direct aftermath of Goro's betrayal.
Kudos: 4





	Checkmate

“Someone set us up.”

Nijima stood in the center of the room, pointedly avoiding the gazes of her companions by staring at the locked door. Goro watched her, unsure whether to feel amusement or pity. The tension in her body matched the energy in the attic. The other members of the little band sat or stood in a ragged circle around the room. Nijima had spoken first, much to Goro’s surprise. He’d been certain the arrogant fool Sakamoto would’ve made an outburst by now, but he still leaned on the window frame and stared blankly at the floorboards. They hadn’t lit any candles, so the orange light of the setting sun served as the only light. The oaf blocked some of the weak light, leaving much of the room in shadows.

“M...Maybe we just got unlucky. We don’t know… I mean, why would any of us…?” The timid voice came from the shadows in the far wall.

Goro turned to look at Yoshizawa. She nervously fiddled with the strap of her bag, but she managed to meet Nijima’s eyes when the older girl turned to look at her. Goro hadn’t given the redheaded girl enough credit; she was a bold one.  
  
“Why would any of us betray our friends?” Yoshizawa asked. “We… We must’ve been overheard, or Shido made a lucky guess, or-”

Nijima’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Kasumi, but there’s no other explanation.”

The kitsune leaning against the shelf nodded in agreement. “We planned that heist in my own den. Between the remote location and the number of wards I had up, there’s no way we could’ve been spied upon.”

“B...But the calling card,” Yoshizawa protested. Goro noticed tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
Nijima shook her head. “Only we knew where Sae’s palace could be accessed from. No. There’s no way the crown guard could’ve gotten there without someone telling them where to look.”  
  
The outburst Goro expected came in the form of Sakamoto’s fist slamming into the wall. “Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit! How could this have happened? We’ve been so careful!”

“Calm down, Ryuji,” Nijima said. “People downstairs could hear you. Akira didn’t sacrifice himself in the palace just so we could get caught less than two days later by being careless.”  
  


“He shouldn’ta had to sacrifice himself at all!” Sakamoto protested, his voice as loud as ever.

“I know,” Nijima said. “Believe me, Ryuji, I know. We’ll find out who did this, I promise.”

Reluctantly, Sakamoto nodded. Nijima turned back to the door and lifted the bar that locked it. “We should go. It’d be best to lie low for a little while.” She gave her companions one last look before heading downstairs.  
  
  


 _Such a clever girl,_ he thought as he followed her into the well-lit tavern that took up the floor of the building. _Joker made a wise decision in making you his right hand. But you can’t see the answer right under your nose._

A clever idiot was still an idiot, after all.

Goro gave a respectful nod to Sakura as he left. He didn’t care much for a man who harbored criminals under his roof, but he needed to keep up appearances. If the others knew he’d betrayed them - and not only that, put down the mongrel they’d called a leader - they’d be quite a headache to deal with. Best to let suspicion brew between them until his father picked them all off.

The cobblestones smelled of fresh rain and the air was muggy. People bustled around Goro. Workers heading home or to bars for the evening, children chasing each other through the crowds, vagrants looking to find a mark, and- Was that the doctor Akira had worked for? Goro focused on the dark-haired woman standing before the apothecary shop. Sure enough, he recognized her. Dirt covered her hands and arms, and she carried two large baskets with her. Goro caught a strong herbal scent as he passed. She must’ve spent the day out collecting plants.

_Why today,_ he thought as he stepped around a puddle. _It was pouring earlier._

  
Goro shook his head. Perhaps she couldn’t bear to wait for fresh supplies. Akira had always said the woman was fiercely devoted to her craft. 

Akira. Thinking of him brought memories flooding into Akechi’s head. The reserved young man with the brand on his hand. The criminal who walked with the confidence of a lord. He’d been such an interesting boy, right up to the moment Goro had put a crossbow bolt through his chest and left him to drown in the river. Goro didn’t think he’d ever forget the look of betrayal in the boy’s face as he’d stumbled back, clutching at the wooden bolt shaft before falling into the water and vanishing. Confusion. Pain. Fury. Goro felt a twinge of remorse thinking about it.

_Sorry, my friend. You should’ve stayed in your place._

* * *

The first things he became aware of were the voices. 

He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep. He remembered pain like nothing he’d ever known, then cold, then darkness. He thought for a moment he might be dead, but dead men didn’t feel pain like the burning in his chest. As he crept closer to full consciousness, he heard a door close. 

_Where am I?_ He thought.

With great effort, he managed to open his eyes. He winced against the blinding light over his head. Not the dungeon, then, but where? His eyes refused to focus. He blinked and shook his head, and someone spoke from the side of the bed.

“You’re finally awake. Good. I can’t stay much longer.”  
  


He turned. He couldn’t make out the fine details of the person standing over him, but he didn’t need to. He recognized Sae Nijima’s voice. Had she saved him?

“Where are we?” He croaked. He tried to sit up, but a bolt of pain shot through his chest and he fell back with a scream.

“Take it easy, Kurusu. You nearly died yesterday,” Sae said. Akira’s eyes finally began to focus, and he saw that her face was filled with concern. “You’re safe, alright? I brought you to my family’s old watchtower. Alibaba told me you’ve been using it as a safe house for a while now.”

Akira nodded. “Sorry.”

Sae shook her head. “You kids really are resourceful. I’ll give you that.” She walked over to the wall and ran her hands across a few bricks that looked newer than the ones around them. “I can’t complain. You all took better care of this place than I ever did. Anyway, I had a doctor patch you up as best she could. You shouldn’t move around too much for a few days at least, understand?”

Akira nodded. “Thank you.”

“I have to go. I’ve already been gone too long waiting for you to wake up. That blue-haired friend of yours, the tall, skinny one? He should be here to check on you in a few hours. You can stay here as long as you want, just don’t get caught.”

“I try not to.” Akira gritted his teeth against a wave of pain. “Though my record hasn’t been as perfect as I’d like lately.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Sae said. She strode towards the door but paused before leaving. “Hey, Kurusu.”

“Yes?” Akira asked.

“Don’t do something stupid like that again. I won’t be able to bail you out next time.”

“I know. Thank you, Lady Nijima. I mean it.”

  
“You had better,” Sae said before walking out and closing the door. 

**Author's Note:**

> I may write more in this AU if people are interested. Let me know.


End file.
